One Man’s Mexican

Down an ordinary staircase in the basement of a nondescript office building lies the most distinctive Mexican food in Seoul. Like the kind of strip-mall gems that Jonathan Gold has written about, El Pino 323’s modest surroundings betray the quality and complexity of the food on offer. It is Mexican food to be sure, but filtered through the sensibilities and experiences of owner D. Christian Kim.

Chef D, as he is known to friends and patrons, came to Korea in 2002. Adopted into a Mexican family in East Los Angeles, he grew up learning the practices of the cuisine from his grandmother, a former chef in Mexico, who taught him to the necessity of doing things the right way: never taking shortcuts as the way to extract the best flavor out of Mexican ingredients. After moving to Korea, D continued honing his style of Mexican food in the kitchens of Vatos Tacos, The Warehouse, and Volstead Bar. But it was by doing countless pop-ups over the past two years that D was able to perfect his current menu items while building a devoted following.

Chef D, as he is known to friends and patrons, came to Korea in 2002. Adopted into a Mexican family in East Los Angeles, he grew up learning the practices of the cuisine from his grandmother, a former chef in Mexico, who taught him to the necessity of doing things the right way: never taking shortcuts as the way to extract the best flavor out of Mexican ingredients.

El Pino 323, named after a famous pine tree in East LA, opened up earlier this year as mostly a take-out concept. However, the restaurant soon added seating and a sushi bar-style counter where diners have a front row seat to D’s food preparation. When asked about the problem of “benchmarking,” essentially a euphemism for recipe theft, D had a “let them try” attitude because his food is mostly about technique learned through years of practice, something you can’t just walk away with after one or even ten visits.

The restaurant space is humble to say the least, set up in a location which was formerly occupied by a nail salon, but the food which comes out of the small kitchen is as spectacular and unique as a strand of DNA. Diners would do well to start with the tacos. D prides himself on his tortillas and the ones he churns out are uncannily soft but still firm enough to hold their load. In retaining the taste of corn and the grit of the masa flour, one can understand how tortillas are the pillars of Mexican cuisine. The carne asada mole tacos are an odd combination, but work well together; the smokiness and sweetness of D’s mole, more chocolatey than most, ensconce the chunks of steak which sit on a bed of creamy guacamole. Mexican purists may not recognize this taco but, made by the hands of Chef D, somehow it all comes together.

When asked about the problem of “benchmarking,”, essentially a euphemism for recipe theft, D had a “let them try” attitude because his food is mostly about technique learned through years of practice, something you can’t just walk away with after one or even ten visits.

Another staple of the menu is the rice bowls. Made with sturdy, longer grain Mexican rice flavored with cumin and lime, these dishes will be revelatory to those who have only eaten shorter-grained varieties of rice. For those more familiar with long grain rice, the firm, resilient texture of this rice will still be eye-opening. The chicken tinga rice bowl is as deep as it is wide and can sate a massive hunger. The rice comes smothered with a version of chicken tinga that is a kind of shredded, slow-cooked melange, almost gravy-like, the form of which might not be recognizable as tinga to some, but retains tinga’s signature acidic bite.

Other menu items are not to be missed, such as the jalapeno poppers wrapped in bacon. They’ll warm your ears and make you reach for a cold Tecate. The enchiladas verdes have always been the star of D’s pop-ups and a point of pride for the chef — those signature tortillas providing a base for piquant tomatillo-based salsa. Also don’t neglect the habanero brownies with ice cream and make sure to pick up a jar of the housemade jalapeno jam. Rest assured, a visit to El Pino 323 will give you a dining experience unlike anywhere else.